Real Madrid News
Real Madrid’s history suggests Elche could face a very difficult night
Following their impressive victory over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid are now preparing to return to domestic action with a La Liga fixture against Elche at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
While Real Madrid’s form in La Liga has surprised many this season, historical records suggest that this upcoming match could be far more comfortable for them than it initially appears.
For Elche, travelling to the Bernabeu has historically been one of the most difficult tasks in Spanish football.
A forbidden territory
The statistics paint a very clear picture, as in the entire history of meetings between the two clubs at Real Madrid’s home ground, Elche have never managed to secure a victory.
Across all competitions, including both La Liga and the Copa del Rey, Elche have played 26 matches at the Bernabeu.
The record heavily favours Real Madrid, with the hosts winning 21 of those encounters while the remaining five ended in draws.
Even more striking is the number of goals conceded by Elche during these visits. Real Madrid have scored a staggering 95 goals against them at the Bernabeu, which averages more than three goals per game.
More to the story
One of the most unforgettable moments in this history came during Elche’s very first visit to the stadium in the 1959-60 season.
On that occasion, Real Madrid delivered the heaviest defeat Elche have ever suffered in the Spanish top division, winning the match 11-2.
Despite such a difficult historical record, Elche supporters still hold on to a few rare moments where their team came close to achieving something memorable in Madrid.
One of those occasions occurred in January 2022. In that match, Elche came closer than ever to recording a famous victory at the Bernabeu.
The team stunned the home crowd by taking a 2-0 lead late into the game. For much of the match, it looked as though Elche were finally about to break their long-standing curse at the stadium.
However, Real Madrid staged a dramatic comeback in the closing minutes, with Eder Militao scoring a late equaliser in the 92nd minute.
Meanwhile, earlier this season, Elche have already stunned Real Madrid, forcing them into a 2-2 draw, meaning that Real Madrid will have to be on their toes to keep their record intact.
Real Madrid News
Mbappe hits out at claims on his unhappiness at Real Madrid: ‘Angry at my great aunt too’
Kylian Mbappe has been in the news for a plethora of reasons in recent weeks, starting with his injury and surprise vacation. Beyond that, the Ballon d’Or saga has kept him in the spotlight for a reasonable while now.
The Frenchman, after all, has not held back in speaking out about why he deserves to win the prestigious individual award, and while it is perfectly okay to campaign for the award, it is something that has not usually been done in the past.
In terms of his goalscoring numbers, there is no doubt that Mbappe should be a frontrunner for the award. His lack of a single trophy for both club and country, however, works against his chances.
Mbappe’s sarcastic reply to baseless rumours
Earlier today, there were reports of Kylian Mbappe being angry with Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid for not campaigning for him to win the Ballon d’Or this year.
The rumours, needless to say, portrayed the player in a very bad light and made it seem like the club not making public gestures to acknowledge and back his campaign affected him personally.
Now, the player has himself come out to lash out at the journalists, albeit in a sarcastic manner. Commenting directly below the post making the claim via Fabrizio Romano, the player wrote,
“Yes, yes, I even got angry with my great aunt too.”
Mbappe’s ability to deal with such reports with a tinge of humour, needless to say, is impressive and it can only be good for his image that he spoke out and cut off the news at its roots.
Set to return
There has been significant concern around Mbappe’s fitness in recent weeks after the player left the French national team with an injury after their first game.
The initial diagnosis appeared worrying, but it soon came to light that the player had avoided a major setback by a hair’s breadth.
Now, there is increasing hope that the Frenchman will be back for Real Madrid’s first game after the break against Villarreal, possibly even as a starter.
Needless to say, that comes as a massive positive for Jose Mourinho’s plans ahead of a crucial stretch of the season.
